Reversible window shade



y 1942- s. J. JOHNSON 2,283,329

' REVERSIBLE WINDOW SHADE Filed May 6, 1941 7" INVENTOR. 4 6 I Patented May 19, 1942 REVERSIBLE WINDOW SHADE Samuel J. Johnson, West Chester, Ohio, assignor to Clopay Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application May 6, 194-1,Serial No. 392,122

(Cl. l5625) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a window shade formed of paper or fabric and is particularly concerned with an improvement in such shades which facilitates the reversal of the ends of the shade and prolongs its life.

It is a matter of common knowledge that the greater part of the wear that is suffered by window shades is in the vicinity of the lower margin where rigidity is conventionally imparted to the ticularly true in the cheaper class of shades where the expense of cleaning is scarcely justified.

One object of the present invention, therefore, has been the provision of a window shade which is reversible, that is, a shade in which the end of the shade which originally contained the marginal hem pocket may be positioned on the roller and the end that was formerly adjacent the roller may in turn become the end in which the shade slat is inserted.

Another object has been to provide a reversible shade in which the shade as originally constructed includes a second marginal hem pocket adjacent the roller, which marginal hem may be utilized to hold the shade slat after the shade has been reversed.

Another object of the invention has been to provide attaching means conveniently located for refastening the shade to the roller after it has been reversed.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the further and more detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an unrolled shade of the type of the invention positioned on a roller.

Figure 2 is a like view of the same shade from the reverse side.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of a shade positioned as in Figure l with a broken away portion showing the positioning of the adhesive attaching means with reference to the second marginal hem pocket and roller.

Figure 4 is a similar enlarged elevation showing the shade being separated from the roller for reversal.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the two portions of the adhesive sheet completely separated.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View of a portion of the original hem pocket to which the unused part of the adhesive sheet has been attached for the purpose of reversing the shade.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are elevations showing three alternative ways of fastening the reversed shade to the roller, that shown in Figure 7 being the preferred form.

The details of the construction are best shown in Figure 1. In this figure a conventional window shade is indicated at i. This shade may be mounted on a roller such as 2. On the extended margin of the shade a hem is formed along the stitch line 3 and a slat indicated by the dotted line 4 is inserted in the pocket formed by the hem. The other end of the shade is secured to the roller by the adhesive strip 5, the details of the attachment being best illustrated in Figure 3. The adhesive strip has an initially unused lower portion 8 separated from the upper portion 5 by the stitch line I. This same stitch line also forms a second hem pocket 6 on the upper end of a shade adjacent the roller.

The use of an adhesive strip for securing a shade to a shade roller is described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,807,533 issued May 26, 1931 and this strip provides an effective attachment means, particularly in the case of paper shades of the general type to which my earlier patent relates.

When the lower half of the shade as shown in Figures 1 or 2 becomes dirty or frayed and it is desired to reverse the shade, the adhesive strip is torn along the stitch line as shown in Figure 4. The unused portion of the adhesive strip 8 originally delineated by the stitch line will then be separated from the used portion. At this point the portion of the adhesive strip 8 is entirely removed from the upper end of the shade and the shade is detached from the roller. The stiffening slat is then removed from the pocket in the lower end of the shade and placed in the a pocket 6 in the upper end which is then reversed and becomes the lower end. The unused adhesive strip 8 is then secured to the end of the shade which was formerly the lower end as shown in Figure 6. It may then be secured to the roller inany one of several different ways. The preferred way is as shown in Figure 7 which illustrates the complete tearing off and disposal of the used piece of adhesive 5 and the attachment of the shade to the roller only by the previously unused part 8. However, the same general result may be obtained by allowing the used portion of adhesive to remain on the roller and attaching the unused portion to the used portion. This structure is illustrated in Figure 8. Another alternative structure is shown in Figure 9..

The construction is a simple one and, as compared with conventional shade construction, involves only the additional operations of forming the secondary hem pocket and providing the extra wide adhesive strip divided in two sections by the stitch line forming the secondary hem pocket. The cost of manufacture exceeds that of conventional shades by only a very small amount but at the same'time a shade is provided which will preserve its appearance for a much longer time.

The invention has particular utility with the cheaper types of shades, such as paper shades which are only intended to last for a limited period of time before being completely discarded in favor of new shades. The reversal of position of the ends adds greatly to the useful life of shades of this type.

Since the second hem and unused portion of the adhesive strip are positioned immediately adjacent the roller they will not be unsightly because the only time that they will be visible is when the shade is completely extended on the roller and this seldom occurs except by accident.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a window shade, a pocket for sustaining a stifiening slat formed at the end of the shade which is normally adjacent the roller and adhesive means associated with said pocket for attaching the shade to the roller when its positioning is reversed.

2. In a window shade, a pocket for sustaining a stifiening slat formed at the end of the shade which is normally adjacent the roller and adhesive means for attaching the shade to the roller; said adhesive means including a separable portion for reattaching the shade to the roller when its positioning with respect to the roller has been reversed.

3. In a window shade, a stitched hem forming a pocket for sustaining a stiffening slat positioned at the end of the shade which is normally adjacent the roller, and a strip of adhesive secured to the shade along the hem stitch line;

* said stitch line likewise forming a line of weakening in said adhesive strip for separating it into two shade attaching portions.

4. In a window shade, a hem formed at the end of the shade normally adjacent the roller; said hem being adapted to sustain a stiffening slat when the positioning of the shade with respect to the roller has been reversed, and an ad-- hesive strip for attaching the shade to the roller; said adhesive strip including separable portions for fastening the shade before and after reversal.

5. In a window shade, a shade portion, hems formed by stitching at either end thereof for sustaining a stiffening slat regardless of which end of the shade is attached to the roller, and an adhesive strip secured to the shade along one of the hem stitch lines; said hem stitching forming a line of weakening in said strip for dividing it into two separable parts.

6. In a window shade, a shade portion, hems formed at either end of said shade portion for sustaining a stiffening slat regardless of which end of the shade is attached to the roller and an adhesive strip for attaching the shade to the roller secured to one end of the shade; said adhesive strip including a separable portion for reattaching the shade after its positioning with respect to the roller has been reversed.

7. A window shade comprising a roller, a shade portion, hems formed by stitch lines at both ends of said shade portion for sustaining a stiffening slat regardless of which end of the shade is attached to the roller, and an adhesive strip attached to the roller and attached to the shade at one end thereof; said adhesive strip having a separable portion delineated thereon by the hem stitch line at the end to which it is secured; said separable portion being adapted to be used in refastening the shade to the roller after the positioning of the shade with respect to the roller has been reversed.

SAMUEL J. JOHNSON. 

